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By pastorbillwalden
Some final thoughts re. my season with the Phoenix Preacher…
The cartoon to the right represents a lot of what my time was like while interacting on the Phoenix Preacher. I think the cartoon is hilarious.
The opinions expressed here do not exclusively apply to the Phoenix Preacher, but that happens to be where my involvement in a high volume blog took place. I am sure the pros and cons I experienced take place in many other Christian venues, including the offices of many senior pastors and church Board Rooms.
Perhaps this article would be better entitled, “My Experiences With The Phoenix Preacher, Calvary Chapel, and Christians Worldwide, Especially In The Arena Of Cyberspace”. Yeah…let’s do it that way…
That being said, here goes…
As I said previously, The Phoenix Preacher nor those whom are criticized or praised there are the enemy. Satan is the Enemy, and my flesh and the world system that we live in.
There is a lot wrong within Christendom, and a lot that is wrongly being done in response to it. Gee whiz…there is a lot that is wrong with me.
I am not a fatalist. I love Jesus’ church, and the gates of Hell won’t prevail against it. That truth buoys me up.
But like any Christian that loves Jesus, and strives for His glory, and for justice, we can find ourselves involved in battles, some which we should be in, and others which we shouldn’t be in. Some battles we are in for a while, and then we need to exit.
Pros of blogging: high volume blogs in particular.
1. During my time on PP, I was stretched theologically, especially in the arena of eschatology, the study of things future. Some good discussions took place. I interacted with people whom I never would be seen with in public. 
(kidding)
2. I was stretched re. church practices, from serving communion to church government, and more. Why we do things certain ways. That was interesting too.
3. I was able to share prayer requests, and share my heart when struggling. This was a special blessing when my friend Roby Duke died, and some of us were able to share and grieve together. Online grieving… never would have imagined that. Just about any time of day, there would be someone online, and you could share a prayer need or a sorrow, and be encouraged to some degree, and sometimes greatly encouraged. I have a wife and friends around me, but the PP had become community too.
4. I was able to minister, not only to the folks I was “talking” to, but to others who read but never post. (lurkers) I occasionally received emails from folks who were blessed, but never wanted to post on the blog. That was encouraging.
5. I laughed my brains out at some of the humor. Some of you guys, if you are reading this, are REALLY funny and clever. Thanks for the laughs. Oh my…
6. I was challenged about the movement of which I am in, and of which I have great love for: Calvary Chapel. I have been a CC guy for 27 years. Being in a family that long means you know the good and bad of the family. Much of what was discussed on PP re. CC wasn’t news. Some of it was. No matter. I still believe that that is where God has me. There is no perfect church or church movement. I am not a part of CC because it is flawless. I am there because, at it’s core, I believe in the values that Calvary Chapel teaches. I think it is very biblical.
The challenge of hearing the critics of Calvary Chapel has been good for me and many other CC guys, as we desire to see our movement be the best that it can be for the glory of God. The challenge of hearing certain news was difficult at times, but, in the long run, I don’t regret it at all. In fact, I am thankful for it.
Cons of blogging: high volume blogs in particular.
1. Lack of accountability. The Internet provides a platform for people to speak, but can offer no built in design for accountability re. what is being said, or how it is being said. Some of that is up to blog moderators. In fact, a lot of it is up to them.
2. I had a friend who was a policeman. He talked about people who were drunk, and that they had “liquid courage”. They would try to fight people because, being drunk, they lacked the normal restraints that sobriety provided.
3. I think the same is true re. blogging. People can have “cyber courage”. They don’t have to sign their name, they can criticize, malign, and gossip with no consequences, (except that God will deal with them). Insinuations can be made that have no basis. People’s intentions can be presumed, with no way of verification. The Bible tells us that we can’t know what is in a man’s heart, and yet we all insist that we are the exception. The problem is magnified because our “keen insights” are shared on the world wide web.
4. NOTE- I understand, respect, and support that wounded people would want to stay anonymous while sharing frustrations about bad church experiences. They need protection. They have often either wrongly been kicked out of their church, or had to leave because of some tyrannical pastor who has created a world of no accountability. These folks are scared, hurt, and don’t want further retribution. I am all for them staying anonymous. 100% support there.
5. I am 100% against anonymous critics. It is cowardly, in my opinion. It is un-biblical.
6. Anonymous blogging under a moniker can be fun, if it is all done in fun.
7. I love the Greek word parakaleo. It means to come alongside, and exhort, correct, encourage, etc. The prefix is para, from which we get the word parallel, i.e. side by side. To parakaleo someone means that you come alongside of them in correcting them, exhorting them, criticizing them, encouraging them etc.
To come alongside also means that you take much more of a chance in risking rejection, confrontation, a sour look, a harsh tone, or even a punch in the nose. Parakaleo is up close and personal. I received a few parakaleo emails from some PP folks, for which I was thankful. It was honorable and loving, and a bit risky for them. (I can be pretty mean)
I do believe that some issues are appropriate for public discussion. However, character attacks, assuming one’s intentions as being bad, and name calling are never right, ESPECIALLY from behind the cyber shield of anonymity.
Agape love will take the chance, and get up close and personal. If you don’t have access to someone, then maybe it is better to talk about issues, or maybe just pray, or maybe not say anything.
I think we need to learn to not share our opinion just because we can. That goes for pastors in pulpits, even more so than it does for anonymous bloggers. NO pastor should ever use the pulpit for name calling. It’s not O.K. It’s wrong.
8. Anonymous criticism also undermines what may be a valid criticism. I believe that anonymous critics lose the opportunity of driving home a good point. If you really believe it, sign your name to it. The Bible comes to mind in that regard. The Declaration Of Independence. The list goes on…
9. High volume blogging can be addictive, especially when it is an issue dear to your heart. See cartoon above. 
As the Apostle Paul said, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial”. My time isn’t mine, it’s the Lord’s. He tapped me on the shoulder re. that.
Finally…
Finally, as is with my case, we who follow Jesus need to do what the Lord directs us to do. We cannot be need driven, emotionally driven, or driven by any other thing, except by the leading of the Holy Spirit. I am thankful for my time on The Phoenix Preacher.
I actually felt a loss and a grief over leaving. I was surprised about that, and it took a few days to understand it. It had become community, and I was bummed out about leaving, believe it or not.
I have no personal grievances with any of the PP family, or any of the Calvary Chapel family. I think both groups want to see Jesus honored and glorified.
Not being a part of the Phoenix Preacher is simply what God has called me to. I am not for one part of the Body of Christ and against another. I am not in a “No Man’s Land”. I call both groups friends and brothers.
I just simply need to follow Jesus’ path for me. We all do.
Blessings…
By pastorbillwalden
Why do I feel like I am walking through a mine field?
Because I am. We all are, at times. The Christian life has land mines in it. Jesus said, “In this world, you will have land mines…”. (BWV Bible)
Satan is the Enemy. He plants the land mines. My flesh and the world are also the enemy. The Body of Christ, Christian organizations, The Phoenix Preacher and Calvary Chapel are not the enemy. We need to get that straight.
So why do I feel like I am walking through a mine field? Why even talk about the mine fields of life? Physical mine fields by their very nature are scary and nerve racking, if you indeed survive passing through them.
Isn’t it just better to avoid mine fields altogether? Of course it is, but sometimes you find yourself in the middle of one.
Warren Wiersbe- “The Christian life is not a playground, it is a battleground”.
Why talk about the spiritual mine fields of life? Because we have a responsibility for one another as Christians. If I have navigated a portion of life and learned some things, then I can be a blessing to any who might be walking the same path I have just taken.
By the way, the mine fields that I am talking about include The Phoenix Preacher, Calvary Chapel, discernment ministries, and every person I will ever meet. Some are more “miney” than others.
The mine field is also me. It includes what happens to me, in me, and through me when I choose to interact or am called to interact with certain people. Mine fields by their very nature have hidden dangers in the midst of a potentially beautiful or interesting setting. The beauty or intrigue of the setting can leave you vulnerable to certain “surprises”.
The “surprise” can be something someone unexpectedly said, and then how you react. The “surprise” can be hearing something that you didn’t need to hear. The “surprise” can be that you are misjudged or misunderstood. The “surprise” can be that someone was actually blessed by something you said. The “surprise” can be no response to what you are saying. Preachers know about this.
The surprise can be that you actually like the mine field you are in, because you seem to be helping some folks navigate through it. Isn’t it kind of sick to like being in a mine field? No, not really. Such is the work of ministry. Such is the work for those who care about others. That doesn’t mean you should stay there indefinitely. It just means that you have good intentions, and are willing to suffer a bit for others.
The surprise can also be God calling you away from one mine field to another. It often seems to happen just when you think you have the present location somewhat figured out. Such was my case with the Phoenix Preacher blog.
Don’t you get hurt walking through mine fields? Yes, sometimes. Wouldn’t it be better to stay out of them altogether? Yes, it would be better for you, but it wouldn’t help those who find themselves in one. You can only help so much by shouting instructions from a distance. Sometimes you have to get in the middle of things to help. There is always a risk when that happens.
The present subject matter reflects what was an emotional experience for me, with both highs and lows. It’s fun to talk about the highs, and dangerous to talk about the lows. The new mine field I am entering into will be to appropriately share what I have recently learned through my time of interaction on PP.
Once again, if you are looking for, and God forbid, hoping for explosions, look on YouTube. This will be more of an effort towards map drawing and sign making of where I have been, not a demonstration in pyrotechnics.
Why do I call this new effort a mine field? The Apostle Paul wrote about himself, you, and me…
There is none that is righteous, no not one. (Romans 3:10)
That certainly, most certainly, includes me.
Blessings…
By pastorbillwalden
Sometime during 2006, I heard about a blogsite called “The Phoenix Preacher” (PP). It was started by Michael Newnham, a Christian who had served at a Calvary Chapel, and who had gone through a very negative experience with that church, resulting in him leaving that church (as I understand it). Other people who had gone through negative experiences with Calvary Chapels found the Phoenix Preacher blogsite, and it became a cyber community where people aired their grievances and made suggestions about what should be done to remedy wrong situations within the Calvary Chapel movement (CC), and later on with other arms of the Body of Christ.
They also gathered to get support, and of course, to vent their frustrations. Understandable.
Sometimes they shared a bit more than that too.
By the time I started reading the blog, I was told that the atmosphere had toned down quite a bit in regards to the level of anger and strong verbage that was being used. That was good by me.
My present intention on writing about my experience is not to be controversial, and get lots of visits to my blogsite. Unfortunately, that seems to be a trend even among Christian bloggers. The flesh loves that which is controversial and sensational, even if it has the word “Christian” attached to it. Maybe especially when it has the word “Christian” attached to it.
I am also not interested in debate. This will not be an article(s) judging the merits, intentions, or rights or wrongs of PP. Not interested.
My intention is to share what I learned while being a part of what is known as “The Phoenix Preacher”. My comments may be somewhat chronological in paralleling my experience, but not necessarily.
When I first visited the Phoenix Preacher, also known as PP, I really wasn’t up to speed on what blogs were all about. In fact, I had thought that they were for people who had no social skills, and needed make believe friends. Through time, I discovered that I was wrong about that.
Though, in my opinion, (IMO), face to face interaction and friendship is always the best arrangement, the concept of a cyber community has some merit. Through my involvement on PP, I actually made some friends that I value, some of which I have met, and feel that I will have a lasting relationship with. I also connected with older friends I had lost contact with.
Some of those cyber friendships (acquaintances really) were only via the blog interaction, but sometimes they developed into something more, like trading emails. I learned about people that live in my area, whom I became friends with. Pastor Daniel Fusco is such a one, who lives in Mill Valley, CA. We now share fellowship, and he has spoken at our church on occassion.
One thing I did come to realize was this: you can develop a sense of community with people you have never met. People on PP often shared prayer requests, or struggles, and one can begin to have true agape love for folks that most likely they will never meet in person. That concept caught me completely off guard. As I said, I don’t think that that level of fellowship comes close to the face to face relationships which we ought to have, but it isn’t a waste. In fact, there can be a surprising degree of edification and support found in cyber communities.
That’s one thing I learned.
Another thing I learned is this: Every community has its mores, its social structure, its unwritten rules, and its ebb and flow. It’s like any social gathering from Jr. High cliques to University Academic circles to Senior Pastor’s Conferences. When you get around a group of people, there are some dynamics that one would do well to learn.
I just jumped right in to the PP, ready to right every wrong, correct every injustice, and answer every question. After all, I am a pastor, I am 52 years old, (that nearly makes me a sage), and I am not stupid. In fact, I am pretty smart. Just ask me.
So with those qualifications, I jumped into the fray of PP, and expected to be “The Voice” that everyone had been waiting to hear.
To say that I misjudged that scenario would be a huge understatement. When someone finds a blog, reads for a few minutes, and tries to be “The Voice”, that person is generally ignored. Bloggers call that a “drive-by”. Just like a drive-by shooting, one unleashes their ammo at a randomly selected crowd. The shooter doesn’t know anyone in the crowd, they just fire away.
Such is a drive-by post. While a drive-by may contain truth, imagine someone showing up to your Thanksgiving dinner table, and trying to “set everyone straight”.
You’ll get better results trying to walk on water.
If someone wants to save someone quick, train to be a paramedic. That’s what people expect from paramedics.
If you want to be part of a cyber community, get to know how the community works. Read for a long time without posting (lurk). Get to know when people are serious or kidding. Learn the dynamics, and pray for the people. Pray about whether you should be involved at all. None of us can fit into every kind of social group, whether in person or cyber space.
PP is a high volume blog site, with people posting throughout the day, and late into the night. That is a community. Other blog sites have less volume, and less of a social dynamic to understand. Those may be easier to introduce yourself to, simply because there are fewer personalities to know.
I no longer interact on The Phoenix Preacher. My season for that is done, but my time there was not a waste, not at all. I learned a lot about the movement of which I am a part. I learned how our critics view us, as well as supporters from outside the movement.
I learned that you need to get past how someone is saying something, and listen to what they are saying. I already knew that, but only in a face to face setting. “Hearing” someone online takes even more time. So does “talking”.
Why even write about the PP? Because it reflects the world that we live in. We live in a “world wide web” culture, and present day technology can allow for great ministry to take place. We can use the Internet for the glory of Jesus Christ, and to reach multitudes. (or dozens)
While I am no longer a part of PP, it proved to be something that God has used in my life. I learned about people, theology, internet dynamics, and more. I learned about myself, my friends, and how God does and doesn’t want to use me.
It challenged me in many ways. It was good. Not always fun, but good.
My reflections on “My Season with the Phoenix Preacher” will hopefully encourage and help a few folks regarding touching other lives via the Internet. I’ll be sharing more about this.
In the mean time, don’t forget to visit your neighbors.